Anyone with pets or young children knows how quickly furniture can get dirty or ruined. Custom furniture is an investment, and knowing that it is going to last under the stresses of your daily life is critical in making a decision that you feel confident with.
Materials play a major role in how long a piece of custom furniture lasts, and the fabric used is no exception.
Which Upholstery Fabric Is Most Durable?
It may sound funny, but rub tests are used to determine how much wear and tear fabric can handle before it begins to show damage or break yarn. A rub is counted as rubbing in one direction, such as sitting down on a couch. A double-rub is classified as a rub back and forth. For example, the two motions of sitting down on and getting up off a couch.
Heavy Duty: 15,000 or more double rubs. These materials are ideal for busy homes with pets and/or children.
Medium Duty: 9,000-15,000 double rubs. This fabric grade is still fairly durable and may be a more cost effective option for families on a budget.
Light Duty: 3,000-9,000 double rubs. This fabric will only last 1-3 years before showing noticeable signs of damage. Light duty upholstery is best for formal living rooms that aren’t used on a daily basis.
Delicate Duty: Less than 3,000 double rubs. This grade of fabric wears very easily therefore, it is typically used for decorative details such as curtains and pillowcases.
Fabrics with higher rub counts are often more expensive, but this definitely pays off as they last much longer than cheaper products.
What Type Of Fabric Is Best For Pets?
Performance fabrics, made of either 100% polyester or polypropylene, are designed for high traffic areas and are perfect for households with pets or children. Our most popular performance fabrics are made in the USA by Revolution Fabric and consist of 100% polypropylene, basically a non-woven plastic that’s highly resistant to staining.
One of our best-sellers is the “Maserati” fabric, a polished microsuede that is 100% polyester. It appears as leather, has a soft feel, and a double rub count of over 300,000. Fabric quality, as indicated by the rub count, is key to buying quality furniture and should be taken into serious consideration when deciding what to invest your money in.
Fabric Protection Plans
At Home Envy we offer fabric protection plans so that you can be as confident with your purchase as we are with our product. These fabric protection plans typically cost less than a single cleaning and cover up to 5 years of stains, spills and other mishaps.
Custom Furniture That Lasts
Furniture that can withstand the wear and tear of daily life is incredibly important. At Home Envy Furnishings, we work with companies that create products that are both comfortable and durable. Check us out online or visit us in-store for help finding furniture that is suited to your lifestyle and will last you generations!
